Glycerol Clearing Method
Glycerol Clearing Method - Related Videos
02:08
A Hydrophobic Tissue Clearing Method for a Rat Brain Tissue Sample
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2025
Source: Kirchner, K.N., et al., A Hydrophobic Tissue Clearing Method for Rat Brain Tissue. J. Vis. Exp. (2020).This video demonstrates the method of hydrophobic tissue clearing of a rat brain tissue sample. The sample is sequentially dehydrated in methanol, treated with a dichloromethane and methanol mixture to dissolve lipids and pigments, and transferred to dibenzyl ether for complete tissue clearing, enabling detailed imaging without thin sectioning.
02:35
Long-Term Cryopreservation of Cyanobacterial Strains Using Glycerol or Dimethyl Sulfoxide
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2025
Source: Lea-Smith, D. J., et al. Generation of Marked and Markerless Mutants in Model Cyanobacterial Species. J. Vis. Exp. (2016)This video demonstrates the cryopreservation of cyanobacterial strains by combining concentrated cell suspensions with glycerol or DMSO and storing them at low temperatures, enabling long-term maintenance of viable cultures for photosynthesis and genetic studies.
07:30
Imaging Cleared Embryonic and Postnatal Hearts at Single-cell Resolution
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Cited by 8 •
2016
We describe a protocol to volumetrically image fluorescent protein labeled cells deep inside intact embryonic and postnatal hearts. Utilizing tissue-clearing methods in combination with whole mount staining, single fluorescent protein-labeled cells inside an embryonic or postnatal heart can be imaged clearly and accurately.
13:02
Archimedes-Based Glycerol Displacement for Electrode Porosity Measurement in Lead-Acid Batteries
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2026
Here, we present a simple and low-cost glycerol displacement method based on Archimedes' principle for measuring lead-acid battery electrode porosities. The method demonstrates good reproducibility and is safer than traditional techniques, requiring low-hazard chemicals and equipment. Combining the technique with microstructural analysis by X-ray diffraction provides information on battery electrode properties and degradation.
08:24
A Hydrophobic Tissue Clearing Method for Rat Brain Tissue
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Cited by 4 •
2020
Here we present a hydrophobic tissue clearing method that allows for the viewing of target molecules as part of intact brain structures. This technique has now been validated for F344/N control and HIV-1 transgenic rats of both sexes.
FAQs
Glycerol reduces the refractive-index differences between tissue components and the surrounding solution. When these differences become smaller, light is scattered less as it travels through the specimen. The resulting reduction in optical interference can make internal anatomy, cellular organization, and labeled structures easier to observe during microscopy, including when examining specimens in three dimensions.
The method begins with fixed tissue rather than an untreated specimen. Immersion then allows the glycerol-based solution to equilibrate with the sample, bringing the surrounding optical environment closer to that of the tissue. This equilibration is central to reducing refractive-index mismatch, so the clearing effect depends on adequate contact between the solution and the specimen.
Glycerol clearing offers a relatively simple approach for increasing specimen transparency without relying on the more intensive procedures described for other clearing strategies. Its value is practical as well as optical: researchers and students can use it when improved visualization is needed but a simpler tissue-processing option is appropriate. The method remains applicable to varied biological samples.
The approach can be applied to tissues, embryos, organs, and other biological specimens when internal visualization is important. It is especially useful when microscopy must reveal anatomy or cellular organization through a sample rather than only at its surface. The same optical principle can also support observation of fluorescent labels within prepared specimens.
A basic workflow starts by fixing the biological specimen, followed by immersion in a glycerol-based solution. The sample remains in contact with the solution so the two can equilibrate, after which the processed specimen is examined microscopically. This sequence emphasizes preparation and optical equilibration rather than a complex series of tissue-processing stages.
Cleared specimens can support observation of three-dimensional anatomy, internal structures, fluorescent labels, and cellular organization. In research, these views can help document how structures are arranged within tissues, embryos, or organs. In teaching, improved transparency can make biological organization easier to demonstrate, linking microscopic images with the specimen's broader anatomical context.